Key point: a medico-legal certificate and a REMA report are not two names for the same document. They may be used in the same case without one automatically replacing the other.
01 / Medico-legal document
The medico-legal certificate.
Under the Romanian procedural rules for medico-legal work, the certificate is prepared by a forensic medicine physician at the request of the interested person and records findings from the medico-legal examination.
For traumatic injury, it may address:
- the existence and description of injuries;
- possible mechanism and approximate age;
- consistency between injuries, records and the reported circumstances;
- the number of days of medical care required for healing;
- other relevant medico-legal consequences when assessable.
Its content depends on the case, examination and records. It is used in road accidents, assaults, workplace accidents and other circumstances requiring medico-legal documentation.
02 / A separate benchmark
Days of medical care.
The number of days of medical care is a medico-legal assessment of injury severity and the period required for healing, determined after examining the injuries under the national medico-legal scale.
- days spent in hospital;
- sick leave or time away from work;
- the number of consultations or rehabilitation sessions;
- calendar time elapsed since the accident.
A person may require lengthy functional rehabilitation without that entire period corresponding day-for-day to the medico-legally assessed days of care.
03 / Insurance medicine
The REMA report.
A REMA insurance medicine assessment is prepared by a competent medical expert assessor under the applicable framework. It assesses bodily injury or impairment of health caused by vehicle accidents and gives the trauma score following examination and review of medical records.
The method is set by ASF/Ministry of Health Order no. 1/2,293/2022; the official schedule contains:
Initial traumatic injury
The injury at the time of the accident, classified by type, location and severity.
Post-traumatic complications
Documented adverse developments associated with the initial injury and listed in the scale.
Permanent consequences
Objectively demonstrated permanent deficits or sequelae causally linked to trauma.
The final score follows the method applied to the actual medical situation. A diagnosis alone is insufficient. See the guides on causation and complications and permanent sequelae.
04 / Comparison
Essential differences.
| Element | Medico-legal certificate | REMA report |
|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | Medico-legal documentation and assessment of injuries | Bodily harm assessment for vehicle accidents |
| Scope | Accidents, assaults and other trauma | Vehicle accidents and Romanian RCA compensation |
| Author | Forensic medicine physician within the medico-legal system | Medical expert assessor competent under the regulations |
| Characteristic result | Medico-legal conclusions, including days of care where applicable | Trauma score |
| Method | Examination and review of records | Examination, document review and trauma schedule |
| Determines compensation? | No | Not by itself |
The systems measure different matters. People with the same number of days may receive different scores where their injuries, complications or functional consequences differ.
See How is the trauma score calculated after a road accident?
05 / Complementary roles
When both documents
may be needed.
The certificate may document the injuries and form an important part of the medical file, but it does not necessarily contain the trauma score required under the vehicle accident method. A separate REMA assessment may therefore be necessary.
- the certificate does not automatically become a REMA report;
- the REMA report does not cancel or make the certificate useless;
- the two documents may complement one another.
The need for each depends on the medical situation, stage of the claim and purpose of the assessment.
06 / Preparing the assessment
Documents that may matter.
- medical records from immediately after the accident;
- hospital notes, discharge documents and operative reports;
- imaging and specialist consultations;
- treatment and rehabilitation records;
- records of complications, sequelae or functional limitation;
- the medico-legal certificate, if issued;
- documents identifying the accident and its date.
The records should show progress from the accident to assessment. An isolated diagnosis without supporting documents and chronology may be insufficient. For incident records, see Road Police documents for an RCA claim.
07 / Limits
What a REMA report
does not establish.
- who was at fault;
- the legal liability of those involved;
- the total and final amount of compensation;
- every category of financial or non-financial loss;
- the outcome of litigation or an automatic duty to pay a particular sum.
The trauma score is an important medical element. Compensation still requires application of the Romanian RCA framework and review of the full claim under Law no. 132/2017.
08 / Frequently asked questions
Important clarifications.
Is a medico-legal certificate compulsory for a REMA report?+
Its necessity depends on the case and the available records. If issued, it may provide important medico-legal information, but REMA assessment still requires review of the entire medical file.
Can a REMA report be prepared only by a forensic medicine physician?+
The report is prepared by a medical expert assessor who meets the conditions in the applicable regulations. The assessor's competence should be verified before the report is requested.
Is the trauma score stated in the medico-legal certificate?+
Not ordinarily. The certificate and REMA report are different documents prepared under different procedures and methods.
Do more days of medical care automatically mean a higher score?+
No. The two values are not directly proportional. The injury type, complications and permanent consequences may affect the assessments differently.
Does a REMA report guarantee compensation?+
No. It provides a medical assessment and trauma score. The compensation claim depends on the complete case and applicable legal framework.
What if complications or sequelae appear later?+
New medical information should be documented. The rules permit a further examination when relevant clinical, functional or laboratory data were unavailable at the initial assessment.
09 / Sources
Framework consulted.
- Procedural rules for medico-legal work — Romanian Legislative Portal
- ASF/Ministry of Health Order no. 1/2,293/2022
- Official trauma score schedule
- Law no. 132/2017 on compulsory motor liability insurance
This information is general. Applying it to a particular case requires individual review of the records and medical condition.